Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I discovered today that not only we will be observing the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that for some of us, early Sept will also mark the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Betsy both of which I barely escaped by having moved away 2 weeks prior to Betsy and not returning just two weeks before Katrina and the levees breaking. Go figure.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

I wanted to revisit this that I did in 2005, exhausted, shocked, grieving, angry, dismayed proud, every emotion went through me just a few days after the levees broke and the first time a reporter had the gall to call the citizens of New Orleans "refugees"... I wondered whomever it was that did it as I do not recall, every rue the day that he or she made a colossal mistake...

Second in the Hurt Too much Trilogy-Katrina

This poem was written 4 days after Katrina 2005 struck when the media misrepresented suffering people. I simply wanted people to know the New Orleans I knew.

I want to sing a song for New Orleans…Of the neutral zones of Treme’ and Gert Town…

Sing a song for Rampart Street and Congo Square where everyday is a history lesson.

Sing a song for my ancestors Alexander, Sarah, Ellis Hughes.I wished I had told her that she was the only one…That filled my heart with its lassierefaire and living in extremes …That sometimes is too hard to bear, the in your face, with so much life and verve and noise.

And the music, the music, that bubbled up in the cracks of the promenade

Where the cadence in bottle caps on sneakers of youn’uns crying“Throw me a coin, mister”And the “Don’t worry bebe”And having champagne and grits at midnight.

Sing a song for Dunbar’s and Dooky Chase, Hubig pies and Blue Bonnet ice Cream…On those hot humid days that make you scream… Me scream...We all scream for ice cream.

“Where love is like a card game, you only have to deal it once”

There were no refugees here, only hardworking, tax paying citizens who held up a redolent city sometimes with sheer grit and determination.

Sing a song also for St Bernard and Jefferson Parish in water flowing deep.. In the eyes of a man who could only weep at the death of a motherwho waited for her son to come and get her?

And the Mississippi Delta for the blues that came up out of the fields .For all the ones that say…“Where yer at? And " for true?”

Shout out for the Panorama Jazz Band and Hector…For Mrs. Baptist and Mrs. Sanders spending a quiet afternoon catching up on the latest local yoreAnd Tony’s to die for barbecue and his “Fo’ sho! Greeting you.

And my dear hearts Ed and Tony who hearts and soul s are incomparable who was there always there.And Snug Harbor (one and two).And C. Ray Nagin and all the rest you are the best.

Sing a song for the ones who were treated like gum stuck on the bottom of a dog’s paw …When the chips were down...For people who wanted to know who your mama was rather then asked you how much you made.Sing a song for Roysalis, Sammy Lee, Aunty Ruth and Donovan, Chief Tootie, CAC and NOCCA.

And all the “Yeah you right” that have not yet been declared.The White Linen Nights…The zydeco…Second Lines not yet boogie woogie to.For boudin …And po’boysAnd poor people who could not afford anything elseAnd could not flee because they had no place to go.

Tell the story of Novelle d’Orleans where for an evening it was a place where care forgot…

And for Xavier, Suno, Dillard and the Amistad…

For praline pies and real crab cakes, crawfish …And African people who knew the difference between Creole and Cajun…

And whose souls intertwined in the soils…The Ashanti, the Gambian, the Senegalese and the Wolof who knew dafuskie…

For the 1.5 million who are standing on the shores…(Even here in Greensboro) Watching their homes and their lives…And their history swallowed up by the lies of thugs…Rampant shootings…And “lawless New Orleans”

These are a few of my "itty bitties" from my Changed Waters Katrina series exhibited in the Textile Monument exhibition at the Green Hill Art Center located in Greensboro, NC 2007.L. to r:"Blowing in the Wind""Be seeching" Elders Keep Telling the Story". "The Last Red Cross", "Sometimes it Hurts Too Much-Fire". There has been numerous quilts created since Katrina landed on August 28th, 2005

"If someone throws rocks at you, you can do one of two things: you can pick up & throw back or you can build a castle" ~ Terence Howard.

"I Cry for My City"~Michele Lambert, artist

Rhythm & Hues @1501 is delighted to learn that one of our artists, Michele Lambert, will be interviewed by Sally Ann Roberts anchor at WWL-TV New Orleans. Michele was featured in the aftermath 10 years ago as acknowledge as one of their "Quiet Heros" for her deeply moving works that aptly show the pure raw emotions that many felt in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina & Rita.You must see this very touching video from 2005...
Michele-Cry-100406.wmv: http://youtu.be/D_kFrho5C6gMichele's prolific piece "I Cry for My City" created shortly after the storm is still profoundly affecting many today. The Michele also has prints of this imagery in the art space. Her pesistant goal is to sell the original so in part to donate to charity. As part of that team, Rhythm & Hues @ 1501 will make the prints available. or you can go to her website at www.michelelambertartist.com.

This follow up interview and will also showcase the art space "Changed Waters: Thrown Rocks, Building Castles" that Michele Lambert & 25 other artists... ranging from 13-70. And so no doubt the gallery is please that the taping will be at the gallery & in part, showing the art of the other artists that are in varied ways thir deeply held feelings of their beloved home before during and after the storms. Michele's Artist Statement (in part)

“I believe if you paint it well enough the subject doesn’t matter. My body of work is a collection of what moves me. I paint because I am driven to say something. It’s about expressing emotions and passion. It’s so much bigger than me. I listen to my inner voice, push past the fear of judgment and appreciate the results.My artwork is like me, it is very simple and direct. You don’t have to question what you are looking at. I am a purist by nature. I don’t use props, projectors or mixed media. I work only with acrylic and water. I don’t follow any rules, I don’t measure, I don’t have a plan. I have a natural ability to put things into perspective. I visualize it and I paint it.We are listed with the City of New Orleans:

You can see the art featured in the footage at 1501 Canal from July 20-Sept 6th. All the artists have created profound, poignant, soulful renditions for this exhibition.Written on my former house post Katrina.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

The Lydia's 1st Purple Moon exhibition will close as of July 6th. Opening August 1 is "Changed Waters: Thrown Rocks, Building Castles".I absolutely enjoyed working with the artists in both Phase One and Phase Two of Lydia's 1st Purple Moon. It is always a challenge not unfamiliar to most artists to get their work out there to be viewed. The purpose in Rhythm & Hues @ 1501 has been from a standpoint of caring. To give both new, emerging and yes even established, seasoned working artists an opportunity a window a moment to express themselves.I was not expecting when I proposed to HRI Properties back in Nov 2014 to set up some art for a few weeks while waiting their new tenants Dunkin' Donuts to come in to open up that 8 months later we would still be here! Many thanks you are issue routinely to both companies as we happily accomodate. It has been a win-win for all parties.We operate with zero operational money outside of my ability and skill to find a way out of no way! No I do not get paid for this, I am purely volunteering. There have been moments when I had planned to close down because as with anything there will always be detractors; ones who play armchair quarterbacks or resent the fact you put it all out there.My intentions were for my fellow senior neighbors to have something lovely to look at as they came off the elevators and for the pedastrian traffic as well as the tourist riding our streetcars when they see this historic building and its seasoned tenants they have a sight to behold!I plan to do as such with the upcoming "Changed Waters:Thrown Rocks, Building Castles" opening August 1-Sept 7th.

1. "AGE IS AN ISSUE OF MIND OVER MATTER. IF YOU DON'T MIND, IT DOESN'T MATTER." -- MARK TWAIN.

We like this better than saying "You are only as old as you feel," because truthfully, there are days when we all feel our age. The Twain solution serves us better: Make up your mind to not let it bother you.

2. "THE OLD BELIEVE EVERYTHING, THE MIDDLE-AGED SUSPECT EVERYTHING, THE YOUNG KNOW EVERYTHING." -- OSCAR WILDE.

How true is that? We all need to remember that our doctors are not gods, the guy on the phone claiming to be the IRS really isn't, and that just because someone else thinks you'd be happy living in Florida, you may not be.

3. "AS I GROW OLDER, I PAY LESS ATTENTION TO WHAT MEN SAY. I JUST WATCH WHAT THEY DO." -- ANDREW CARNEGIE.

5. "FORTY IS THE OLD AGE OF YOUTH; FIFTY THE YOUTH OF OLD AGE." -- VICTOR HUGO.

Wonder what he'd say about 60 being the new 40? We kind of think Victor Hugo got it right. Turning 40 was much harder than turning 50.

6. ""NATURE GIVES YOU THE FACE YOU HAVE AT TWENTY; IT IS UP TO YOU TO MERIT THE FACE YOU HAVE AT FIFTY." -- COCO CHANEL.

Says it all.

7. "I DON'T BELIEVE ONE GROWS OLDER. I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS EARLY ON IN LIFE IS THAT AT A CERTAIN AGE ONE STANDS STILL AND STAGNATES." -- T. S. ELIOT.

Nothing ages you faster than complacency. It zaps your energy, rots your soul, and destroys you. End complacency by flipping the page. If today was your last day on Earth, would you be happy with how you spent it?

8. "ANYONE WHO STOPS LEARNING IS OLD, WHETHER AT 20 OR 80. ANYONE WHO KEEPS LEARNING STAYS YOUNG. THE GREATEST THING IN LIFE IS TO KEEP YOUR MIND YOUNG." -- HENRY FORD.

True in more ways than one. Keeping your brain active keeps it sharp.

9. “MOST PEOPLE DON'T GROW UP. MOST PEOPLE AGE. THEY FIND PARKING SPACES, HONOR THEIR CREDIT CARDS, GET MARRIED, HAVE CHILDREN, AND CALL THAT MATURITY. WHAT THAT IS, IS AGING.” -- MAYA ANGELOU.

Ba-boom!

10. "I WILL NEVER BE AN OLD MAN. TO ME, OLD AGE IS ALWAYS 15 YEARS OLDER THAN I AM. -- FRANCIS BACON.

Je suis la Lune~I am Moon

JACQUELYN HUGHES MOONEY Visual Poet/Lecturer/Idealist-Dreamer/Seasoned Storytelling Woman creating vibrant, jazzy, contemporary, quilted textile collages, shaped her "rhythm & views" with daydreams, books, dollhouses & coloring books with exuberance packing a NOLa vibe with a West Coast groove!
She will challenge the beholder to embrace the world with fire & passion, often incorporate in the quilts, poetry & storytelling divergent patterns that can whisper or shout a compelling story. She want for people to appreciate that even "mistakes"/imperfections/ raw edges can have a beauty of its own.
Highly empathetic & intuitive, her sensitivity to others' plights is tempered with her belief that every person deserves dignity & respect which is the roots of her Fig Tree Project. With her mes affaires belle (my beautiful belongings), Jacquelyn is
very interpretive, ageless, spatial ,centered, meaningful in her art can/is be all things to all people.
Rhythm & Hues beats, hums, sings and speaks ...
It poses, profiles, winks, smiles and smirks ...
It all but breathes ...
But then it does that, too.